Top 5 Slots In The UK? ( 2020 Updated)

By Alex Smith, Last updated Feb 19, 2024

As with virtually everything in life, what’s popular in one country may not end up being a success in others – and today, we want to take a look at which video slots are most popular in the UK – among UK Slot  players. To put this list together, we’re drawing on data from online casinos and game developers themselves – and while most of the games are “household names”, so to speak, there’s one or two surprises added into the mix – so let’s kick things off with a look at the most popular slot machines played in the UK!

Rainbow Riches Slot

Rainbow Riches is somewhat of a legendary slot in the UK – and it’s no surprise (to us) to learn that it’s among the top five slots – even today – played by UK players. The game rose to fame almost 20 years ago when it was launched by Barcrest, and it’s common to see the slot offered in bookies, pubs – even motorway service stations – throughout the country.
When online gambling started gaining popularity, Rainbow Riches was one of the first games that Barcrest “ported” over to the iGaming world, and today, there are more than 10 other games in the Rainbow Riches franchise – it’s the original we’re talking about today, however, that still proves so popular with players.
Rainbow Riches follows an Irish theme, and the cheeky-looking Leprechaun can be found to the side of the reels, grinning, smiling and moving with every spin. The game is built around a 5-reel, 3-row format and has 10 fixed paylines.

There are three distinctive bonuses and features in Rainbow Riches, and the first is the Wishing Well Bonus. This is triggered by landing three of the wishing well scatter symbols anywhere in view. You will then simply get to pick one of the wells, and you’ll be awarded a cash prize – theoretically up to 500X your stake, but usually in the 5-20X range.
The second bonus round in Rainbow Riches is the Road to Riches bonus, and this takes you to a new game screen where you’ll see a giant wheel; simply spin this wheel and progress the number of spaces it lands on, reaching increased cash prizes on each spin. If you manage to make it all the way to the end you’ll win the jackpot – which, online, is worth 500X your stake. (In bookies and arcades the maximum win is £500 regardless of stake.)
The third and final bonus round – and also the most lucrative – is the Pots ‘o Gold feature. When triggered, you’ll be taken to a screen where bronze, silver and gold pots spin around. Whichever pot lands on the notch in front of you is what you win – and this ranges from between 50X and 500X your stake online. (Offline, the pots are three standalone jackpots.)

Cleopatra Slot

Cleopatra is another of the “classic” slots, developed and pushed out by online gambling and offline gambling giant IGT. Cleopatra is, of course, set in Ancient Egypt, and this 5-reel, 3-row slot has 20 paylines. While Cleopatra isn’t as common in land-based casinos and arcades in the UK as Rainbow Riches, it’s still somewhat of an iconic game, given that it’s one of the most-played titles online, and it’s also proof that game developers don’t need an ultra-fancy concept to make something work.
During the base-game, Cleopatra is pretty bland – and while there’s some wild multiplication action, nothing too notable happens until the free-spins bonus. This is triggered by landing 3, 4, or 5 of the scatter symbols anywhere in view, and doing so awards 15 free-spins. During the free-spins, a 3X multiplier is attached to all wins, and this means that wins formed with one of the wild symbols are multiplied by 6X. It’s also possible to re-trigger the free-spins (for an unlimited number of times). This is achieved by landing yet another 3, 4, or 5 of the scatter symbols anywhere in view during the bonus – doing so awards a further 15 free-spins.

Starburst Slot

You hate to see it – but yes; Starburst is up there as one of the top five most played slots in the UK. For those who’re unfamiliar with the game, it was released by NetEnt a number of years ago and thanks to a very aggressive marketing campaign – which included teaming up with hundreds of online casinos to offer welcome bonus free-spins offers on the game – it’s become somewhat of a “go-to-game” for many players, perhaps through habit more than anything else.
While Starburst does look good – the graphics are slick, the symbols render well and it’s easy to play – it’s surprising that it does so well in today’s high variance-focused iGaming market, considering the maximum win possible from a single spin is just 500X your stake. This is achieved in the re-spin bonus.
On reels 2, 3 and 4, special Starburst wild symbols can land in view. When they do, they expand to fill the entire reel and then “lock” in place for one re-spin. If, on the re-spin, more wild symbols land in view they also lock in place – and one additional re-spin is awarded. It’s possible to win up to three re-spins with the middle three reels all locked as wild reels – and if you land a full screen of the gold “BAR” symbol at this point you’ll scoop the 500X jackpot.

Book of Dead Slot

Book of Dead isn’t one of the most commonly played games in just the UK; it’s also one of the most played slots on the planet, and Play ‘n Go have achieved huge success with the title, with virtually all online casinos choosing to offer it. What’s ironic, is that Play ‘n Go weren’t the ones who came up with the format for Book of Dead. It was actually Novomatic, with their “Book of Ra” and “Book of Ra Deluxe” titles that kicked off the whole “book of” trend – but these games never gained the same levels of popularity as Book of Dead, and it seems like Play’n Go managed to capitalize on their iGaming contacts to market the game well.
Book of Dead is all about the bonus round, and this is triggered by landing 3, 4, or 5 of the scatter symbols anywhere in view. Doing so will award 10 free-spins, and before the spins begin one symbol is chosen at random to become an “expanding” symbol. This symbol then pays “anywhere” – so, for example, if the chosen symbol is a King, simply landing three kings anywhere in view will see them expand and pay. If your chosen symbol is a premium symbol, then you only need to land two in order to secure a win.
The big win-potential in Book of Dead is unlocked if the Explorer – Rich Wild – himself is chosen as the expanding symbol, and landing a full screen of him awards a payout worth 5,000X your stake – the game’s cap! It’s a fun game, and it’s not hard to see why it’s such a popular choice with UK players.

Fishin’ Frenzy Slot

Fishin’ Frenzy is similar to Rainbow Riches in that it’s a game which can often be found in land-based casinos and arcades in the UK. It’s developed by a company called Reel Time Gaming, although it’s commonly distributed by Blueprint Gaming – they appear to hold the license to push it out via their online gambling platform.
As the name suggests, Fishin’ Frenzy is set underwater, and while the look and feel may appear a bit child-like, the game is actually pretty fun – and it has some causing sounds and animations built in, ensuring an enjoyable and exciting gameplay experience at all times.
During the base-game, big wins are relatively rare – with the only way to form them being lining up 5-of-a-kind combos of the Fish symbol – and for that reason, it’s the main free-spins bonus round you’ll want to look for if you’re going in search of those big wins. This is triggered by landing 3, 4, or 5 of the scatter symbols anywhere in view.
During the free-spins, you will notice a new symbol added to the reels; the Fisherman. When he lands in view, any fish symbols on screen will be “caught” by his rod, and these fish symbols all pay a cash prize, worth up to 50X your stake. It’s possible to land more than one fisherman too, in which case all prizes are doubled, and there’s also the chance of winning more free-spins; this is done by landing another 3, 4, or 5 of the scatter symbols anywhere in view.

Conclusion

It’s clear the type of slots UK players play aren’t too different to those we’d expect to see in other countries – although Rainbow Riches and Fishin’ Frenzy perhaps capture a UK audience more than the other slots on this list. If you’re from the UK – let us know in the comments if there are any slots in particular you like? If you’re not from the UK – what do you think about the games listed above? Do you like them, hate them – or feel indifferent? Let us know here!

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